The following contains spoilers for Episode 47 of Bungo Stray Dogs, now streaming onCrunchyroll.
The new antagonists ofBungo Stray DogsSeason 4 have been the Military Police’s Hunting Dogs, a five-person team of augmented Gifted of which only four have been revealed in the anime. Or at least, until the newest episode, “In Lament of My Wingless Body,” where the final member revealed themselves in a stunning twist that manga readers have been aching to see adapted to animation.
Last week, Yosano took center stagein a flashback that explored the trauma associated with her gift, her animosity toward Mori, and how she came to join the Agency. This newest episode brings back her past to haunt her in the present, implying that the fifth Hunting Dog is in fact the man who hung himself after being revived by her, but the truth is so much more complicated.
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The Art of the Misdirect
If you’ve been unfortunate enough to get Kadokawa’s YouTube channel previews of the newest episodes in your feed, now might be a good time to avoid watching them as the season approaches its climax. They tend to get uploaded on Monday the last previewstraight-up reveals the first major hintthat the Hunting Dog is the man from Yosano’s past. But because it’s in the preview, there’s a sense that it obviously isn’t them.
Although it wouldn’t be too shocking.Bungohas a history of bringing back characters thought dead as zombies, such as the old Port Mafia boss being resurrected by Paul Verlaine in the “15” arc. Similarly, characters have been manipulated to the point of becoming mindless slaves, like Nathaniel Hawthorne becoming Fyodor’s personal assassin after twisting his mind. But no, the fifth Hunting Dog is very much alive.
And it’s none other than Michizo Tachihara, the pistol-wielding Port Mafia member thatthe audience has seen ever since Season 1, which is absolutely wild for a number of reasons. He’s the younger brother of the man who Yosano drove to suicide, and he shares his brother’s ability to manipulate metal, but to a much stronger degree. It’s how he puppeted the mannequin that pursued the characters for the episode, which they directly show the viewer.
It’s such an elaborate but effective ruse that proves that in a world of superpowers, it is insanely easy to make yourself look completely innocent with the right skill. But not only that, it implies so much about the extent of Tachihara’s hatred of Yosano. The audience sees them as an observer of the violence just like everyone else before they realize that Tachihara is the one doing it. It makes the betrayal feel so much more sinister.
The Tragedy
Ryuro Hirotsu has always been a fascinating figure in the series.Despite being wise to Mori’s murderof the old boss, he’s remained loyal, believing Mori’s leadership to be the best path for the mafia. While rarely a major figure, he has an air of wisdom about him and his experience adds to the character of the Mafia well. It’s interesting to note that the Black Lizard squad is named after Hirotsu’s novel of the same name.
He’s named after an author of Japan’s Meiji Period, who pioneered the Hisan Shosetsu, or tragic novel. It’s a genre that tells melodramatic and romanticized tales that emphasize suffering throughout a protagonist’s journey which feels fitting for this season. His ability is named after his novel Falling Camellia (Ochi Tsubaki), and it lets him repel objects away from him through touch.
For Hirotsu to seemingly be killed by Tachihara hurts especially when one considers that Tachihara’s pleas for him to “look out” might have been a performance,while he consciously sunk the bladeinto him. Yet in retrospect, Tachihara is not completely without concern for them either and seemed to be pleading for them to abandon the agency, presumably so they would fall into a trap.
The Consequences
The mind of a double agent is a tricky thing and with any luck, the remaining episodes will set some time to pick Tachihara’s brain, but something says there’s more beneath the surface than simple revenge. Additionally, this betrayal is bound to have immediate consequences for one particular reason: Gin is Akutagawa’s sister, and Tachihara just stabbed her.
Akutagawa hasn’t shown themselves for the entire season now and if anything was going to prompt them to make an appearance, it would be a traitor hurting his own sister.Any fan who has readBungo Stray Dogs BEASTknows how far he would go to save Gin, and if the opening is anything to go off of, he’ll be teaming up with Atsushi for the coming final battle in no time.
For all the tragedy of this episode and the uncertainty the audience is left with, there was one big relief, and it’s that Francis did not betray the Agency. There’s something so cathartic listening to his music track, which used to feel like an ironic spin on a villain theme, earning its triumphant sound witha moment of true humility and character growth. Francis only sides with the winners, and he’s decided that the Agency will win.
Reflecting on the real authors behind the cast grants new insights into how their works influence not only their characters but the narrative at large. This season has truly been punishing for the protagonists at every single step, truly emulating the persistent misery in the genre Hirotsu pioneered.Bungo Stray Dogsis often a tragedy wrought with death and betrayal, but who knows, perhaps this season might treat us to a happy ending.
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